In 2011, the Arizona legislature enacted the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) program to help parents find the best possible solution for providing educational services for students. Children with special needs, students attending a public school that received a “D” or “F” on the most recent state report card, children in active duty military families, and children adopted from the state foster care system are eligible. The deadline to apply for this assistance is 3 p.m. on May 1.
The ESA program’s main purpose is to provide options for parents to freely choose how and where to educate children. The program can be delivered in a setting other than a public school—but parents can purchase individual public school classes. Some parents have used a combination of online, home schooling and private tutors to customize their own approach to educating their children.
The program is new, but parents who have participated have reported how much this has helped. Kathy and Christo Visser’s nine-year-old son Jordan has been an ESA recipient for two years.
“The Empowerment Scholarship Account program has been life changing not just for Jordan, but for our entire family,” said the Vissers. “Our ESA allows us to be our son’s advocate in his education and physical therapy. We’ve seen significant changes and strides in his personality, in his behavior, in his speech language, in his motor skills and just his ability to play and be a happy child.”
Parents of children with special needs or attending a failing school, along with children in active-duty military families or adopted from the state foster care system, must complete an application that the Arizona Department of Education provides. The child must have been enrolled for 100 days in a public school to qualify.
Each scholarship amount will be different and will be based upon the school funding formula, which is the same formula used for funding public school students. Although there are many factors that go into creating the final number, the main determining factor for children with special needs is the Primary Determination/Category.
If approved for the scholarship, parents are provided with a debit card with 90 percent of the funds the state would be spending were a child to remain in the public school. Parents file expenditure reports with receipts to the Arizona Department of Education to ensure expenditures were made for eligible educational expenses.
Applications may be submitted to ESA staff by one the following methods:
1. Mail: Applications must arrive by 3:00 p.m. on May 1, 2013 to be accepted. Please be sure to send in your applications early if you choose this method as mail can get delayed. ESA Staff will check postdate stamp of envelope. If mailing and you wish to obtain confirmation please contact ESA Staff.
2. E-mail: Please submit your scanned copies to esa@azed.gov by 3:00 p.m. on May 1, 2013. Confirmation will be emailed when the application and required documents are received.
3. In Person: You may hand deliver your application to ESA staff before 3:00 p.m. on May 1, 2013.
4. Fax: You may also fax your application and required documents to 602-364-1532; it must be received by 3:00 p.m. May 1, 2013. If faxing and you wish to obtain confirmation, please contact ESA staff.
Parents will be notified by mail if their child has been approved for an ESA. They will receive an award letter; the second page of the award letter must be completed and submitted to the Department no later than May 15, 2013 at 3 p.m.
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